Our Little Turkey

This was Turkey Morning.

Our little sleepy head hits David's chest and is out like a light. He loves to take naps on Daddy. Good thing we don't have spiders! They could march right into that wide mouth.

Sleeping again on David Thursday evening.
I wanted a family picture on Thanksgiving, even if Danny was sound asleep.

Even with the flash, he was not waking up...

Until we got home. Then POP, wide awake.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is my most favorite holiday of the year. This year, it is especially sweet with the new addition to our family.

My little butterball is as cute as a button. I'll be taking some pictures of him in his holiday attire in a bit, and I'll be sure to post them later. Today also marks his 2-month birthday, making this Thanksgiving even more special.


This year, we have so much to be thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for my wonderful husband. We have had a roller coaster of a ride over the last 18-months, and I couldn't imagine being seated next to anyone else. I am not only thankful for his love of me, but for the amazing father he is. To watch him and hear him with Danny pulls the strings on my heart and makes everyday one to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my little boy, who is sitting in his bouncer next to me, cooing and smiling. Even after a long day, I am amazed that he is ours. He has brought so much joy to our lives.

I am thankful for Angela because she changed our lives for the better in every way. The lessons we learned from her were not always easy, but they have given us a perspective and appreciation that few people will wholly understand.

I am thankful for the Sherman and Shafer families. We are so lucky to have so many people to love and be loved by.

I am thankful for our health. For our entire families and extended families. I am especially grateful that my Aunt Rosie's most recent scans came back good.

I am thankful for the good friends in my life. The rich reward of friendship is something everyone should be so lucky to reap. In recent weeks, I have found out that several of my friends are due to have 2009 babies. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers so that next year, we are celebrating the new babies in their lives.

Finally, I am thankful that during this dark and unstable economy, David and I are both gainfully employed with a roof over our head, heat in our home and food on our table.

If My Son Were A Star Fish...

I would eat him up and let him grow new limbs over and over again! I honestly don't think it's possible to kiss him enough. A few pictures from the weekend....

GO BUCKEYES!

I'm such a wannabe fan. I really don't care about football, but I'm looking forward to the game. Why? Because it's when my husband scheduled my massage and pedicure! I am having a "Lady Day" and he and Danny are having a "Man Day". Sign me up!

Here is my adorable son sporting some of his baby gifts! Check out the BEAUTIFUL handmade sweater by Carrie Vaccariello. Unfortunately, she's a Michigan fan. We'll let it slide today. The Buckeye blanket is courtesy of David's friend John Ribic. He's a legit fan as he's an alumni. And the fabulous shoes are from the Harmon's. I am now obsessed with looking for more Robeez shoes. So easy to get on and off.

So Far So Good

I am sitting here with a very sleepy baby in the Bjorn. His shots went as well as can be expected. He of course cried, but was soothed very quickly when he latched on for a quick feed afterwards. He also had some Tylenol which we will continue to give him for the next 24-hours. I'm crossing my fingers that the day/night goes well, but I'm also managing my expectations.

He weighed in at 12lbs 14oz. He's in the 85th percentile for weight. What a fatty. We learned that he is now at an age where he should be able to self-soothe himself more. This is good to know. We certainly don't want to develop bad habits, and I know I've been guilty of picking him up all too quickly after he starts crying. The fact that he's been fed, feels good and has a dry diaper is all we need to know to let him cry it out. Lately, he has all of the above, and as soon as I put him down, he'll cry. Depending on my mood and time of day, I'll put up with this to some degree. However I was proud of myself on Wednesday for letting him go a full 20-minutes. Because he's a hefty guy, the doc also encouraged us not to feed him and then put him right down to sleep, but to make sure he's up for a bit (with the exception of the middle of the night) so that he doesn't always need food for comfort. Whether that means he's awake in his crib or awake in other ways.

The doctor said the crying it out might take a few nights, but it's worth the pain for both of us. It really does break my heart to hear him scream fully knowing that if I pick him up he'll be fine. However, the fact that I'll be going back to work at the end of December definitely plays a key role in agreeing to the cry it out theory. Not only for myself at night, but the fact that he'll be in Day Care and will need to be put down for naps, etc.

Of course, this will all begin in a day or two, as with his shots, the doctor advised that it's OK to hold him and cuddle him a lot since he actually won't be feeling good.

Before we left for our appointment, I took a picture of him with his new winter hat, and it was just too cute. You have to love The Children's Place. I especially love it because it's lined with fleece, covers his ears, and velcros under his three chins.

Wish Us Luck

Today Danny is getting four shots at his 2-month check up. I am really hoping he is more Sherman then Shafer when it comes to this type of stuff. The baby Tylenol is packed.

Shooting Rubberbands at the Sky

Check out those thighs! Could they be any chubbier?

He likes to put his arm in the water :)

This was just one of many smiles that he woke up with today. I couldn't snap one of his fabulous ones, but this is pretty good.

Happy Thursday!

My baby woke up in a GRREEAAT mood, so I'm hoping it translates into a fabulous day. I'm trying to get a picture of him in his PJ's. He keeps smiling at me, but I keep missing the picture. Annoying!

I'll post some pictures of him today that I took yesterday during a bath. He is a turkey. When I put him in the tub, he looked like he had rubberbands around his thighs. At an appointment Monday, he weighed in at a hefty 12lbs 12oz. Yowsers! The woman called him a "little Buddah". I'll take that as a compliment.

His two month appointment is tomorrow, so I'm anxious to see what he weighs then and what the doctor has to say. He's getting four shots tomorrow, so I'm anticipating he'll be crabby. That's ok. Poor little guy, I've already got the Infant Tylenol packed.

I've been thinking about some of my favorite baby things and must haves. Here's a list I've compiled so far.

1. A partner. I have a whole new respect for single parents! Without David's help I would be a frazzled crazy person. Because of the nursing, there's still a lot on me in the feeding department, but everything else is so nice to share. Even just ideas on how to do things. Babies don't come with manuals and each day is adventure. I'm so grateful I don't have to do this on my own.
2. Carters Fleece PJ's with a ZIPPER! Very quickly I learned that pajamas with buttons are for the birds. I immediately returned/exchanged all unused pairs for Carters fleece PJ's with a zipper. These are so much easier to deal with in the middle of the night.
3. Baby video monitor. This is the best. I don't have to get up in the middle of the night to see him. This is on my bed stand and I love to watch him fall asleep. I also know when he's about to lose it if his paci falls out.
4. Baby Bjorn. Without this, I would not be able to do some very simple tasks around the house. When he is fussy and won't nap or hang out in his bouncer, this is a no brainer to get him to sleep. It also doubles as a great way to sleep all night and know that I won't roll on him. Sounds unconventional, but sleep is sleep.
5. AT&T Uverse Total Home DVR. We have five TV's in our house and now I can watch my DVR'd shows on all of them! This is fabulous for when I'm pumping or nursing in whatever room we happen to crash in. I can get caught up on all of my CW cheese ball shows (One Tree Hill, 90210, etc) while Dave is at work and then we can watch our "together" shows at night. Works out great. Plus, you can pause a show in one room and pick up where you left off in another. This is a great invention!
6. Bouncer. This bouncer goes every where with me during the day. I bring it to the bathroom when he's up and I need to shower and blow my hair dry. It sits on our kitchen table while we eat dinner. It moves into the family room or basement when we watch TV. It's a nifty little contraption, although the animal bar does not entertain him at all.
7. Nursing Tanks. Really, I wish I had a few more of these. They're great to sleep in. However, now that it is FREEZING in Cleveland, I'm in the market for a Nursing Sweatshirt. I think that would be great! I need to see if they even make those.
8. Made By Moms Pumping Band. This allows me to pump hands free. It's fabulous! Now, I can read books and I plan to start crocheting again.
9. Infant Seat Cover. This isn't the one we have, but it's similar in style. It's so nice not to have to bundle him in jackets and then buckle him in. This makes running out the door much easier. I just throw a blanket over his face when we're outside. And of course I keep a hat on him. My friend told me she bought one like this which actually has a flap to cover his face so you don't need to carry a blanket. If you're in the market, look for that.
10. Pacifier Pod. This has come in super handy. It's attached to his diaper bag and always carries two extra pacifiers. That way if he launches one onto a dirty floor when we're out and about (see Portrait Innovations post), I've always got a spare and I don't have to rifle through my bag to find it.

Well, that's it. My top ten items for right now. I'm sure I'll be adding more down the line.

The Big "M"

I'm tired today. Daniel (I'm trying to sound like the stern mom) was a handful. He didn't want to nap, and only wanted to be held. Needless to say, during his 5-minute cat naps when I did set him down, I ran around trying to do just a few things....like eat lunch. Today was not an easy day.

He's sleeping in his bed which is a good thing. But he's only sleeping for 2.5 hours at a time. So much for the night we scored a 5-hour span. Victory that he's in bed, misery for the frequency that I'm still getting up.

Not to mention that last Friday, out of the clear blue sky, I developed a bout of mastitis. Don't know what that is? Lucky you. It's a very uncomfortable breast infection that comes on very quickly and in addition to having a really sore chest, you feel like you have the flu. I woke up with a temperature of 101! Fortunately, my doctor called in a prescription for me. It is 4-pills a day for 10-days! 40-friggin' pills! David came home from work and took Danny over to his parents and worked from their house. I was able to sleep uninterrupted. I had crazy dreams. CRAZY dreams. Sarah G. on Chantix dreams ;) The mastitis was so painful that it was hard to hold Danny at all on Friday. Dave was awesome! He was up with me at night helping feed him the bottle while I had to pump. We're a good team.

And then it was Sunday again. I swear, sometimes I feel like I live in the movie Ground Hogs Day. It always seems like it's Sunday, and I'm putting my vitamins and Freddy's pills together for the week. Packing lunches and doing laundry. Then boom, it's Friday before you know it! Time is flying.

November 15th

A year ago today was Angela's due date. Today she *should have/could have* been celebrating her first birthday. I don't want to sound ungrateful because I have so many blessings in my life, and I smile endlessly at how wonderful Danny is. I just have to accept that it will always suck. It will always hurt. And I will always miss her.

I just keep reminding myself, what a difference a year makes.

Early this morning after feeding Danny, I was trying to get him back down, his eyes were wide open. A few minutes later, just when I thought he was on the brink of falling asleep, bam, his eyes opened back up and gave me this incredible dimpled smile almost saying "GOTCHA!". I couldn't help but start laughing.

Here is a link to a song/video I like on You Tube. You can fast forward to about a 1:14, that's when the song starts. It's really pretty. I first heard this on January 16th, 2008. The next day marked six-months since we had lost Angela. I was hoping to be pregnant, and found out just days later that I was. Just hearing it gave me peace. It's a beautiful song. A Hundred Thousand Angels, by Bliss.

Here's to focusing on the HERE and NOW while staying snuggled in on a cold Saturday night with the two loves of my life.

Jinx Go Buy Me a Diet Coke

So the sleeping is getting better. Danny seems to have slept the majority of the last two days. It seems as though he's going through a growth spurt or something. Of course, he'll sleep all day (I do wake him so I can feed him) and then want to be up at night. Not a big shock there. However, it seems that when he eats at night, he gets reflux and proceeds to grunt all night.

Last night after his 9:30 feeding, I kept him up (vertical) in either a sitting position or over my shoulder for 30-minutes (recommended by some magazine). Dave walked him around. Nothing seemed to make him comfortable. He wasn't crying, just fussing and grunting like he had to to clear his throat of flem. Finally, I threw the Baby Bjorn on, and he was out like a light. So, that's how we slept last night. All bundled in the Bjorn.

Rinse and repeat at 1:45 am this morning. I tried the same thing. Eat, hold upright for 30-minutes, etc. I tried the crib, but that was out. Finally at 3:00 am, I snapped on the Bjorn, and he was out like a like. This time, he was still grunting a lot, so we slept on the couch.

At 6:30, Dave took the baby and I crawled into bed. Dave tried to get him in the crib. No luck. He changed him for me, and then brought him to the bedroom before he left for the gym. Dave was shutting the door leaving the house when BOOM...Dirty Diaper. Then again about a minute later. Awesome.

So, we're up. Hopefully, he won't sleep all day and he'll sleep all night. We have a field trip to work today so I can get my flu shot.

If you don't know what a Bjorn is, here is a picture. Of course, I do NOT look like the female version of this J.Crew model at 2:00 am.

Bison Beef = Big Disaster

This past weekend does not fall under 'Best Weekend Ever'. Friday night, we did take out from Stir Crazy. I had a mild sesame chicken. Everything I eat makes me nervous, so while a super spicy Kung Pao Chicken sounded fantastic, I opted for the milder choice.

Danny was a bit fussy on Saturday. Not horrible, but enough for me to say loudly enough for David's listening ears..."See, this is why mommy doesn't get as much done during the day as she would like". Dave took note. It was like a constant hand off between the two of us.

Saturday night, we picked up Harry Buffalo for dinner (I know take out two nights in a row = LAZY). Since all I want is meat, especially burgers, I opted for the Bison Burger with cheese. Nothing too crazy. I also had some fries. Those were seasoned.

Something I ate made for one very unhappy baby. He was up all night fussing and grunting. He sounded like the tennis player, Monica Seles.

Of course I had scheduled pictures at Portrait Innovations. Gassy baby and pictures spelled DISASTER. Everything about it was a train wreck. Danny started crying right away. Our family pictures came out awful. We would put the plug in (pacifier) long enough for him to stop crying, and then pull it so the photographer could take the picture. We gave up on getting him in any solo shots with the cute outfits we brought. The main goal was to have nice pictures of him taken in his baptism gown. As he's sitting on our laps, he's gassing like a motor boat. As soon as we're done, I take him to the bathroom to change him where it sounds like I'm using Chinese torture methods because he was screaming so loud. His mouth was so wide, I could see his tonsils rattle. It was almost cartoonish. And he managed to launch his plug on the floor. Thank God for back-ups.

After the diaper change, I take him back out to the area where we reviewed the pictures. Mind you, this place is PACKED. It's a Sunday in November and everyone and their cousin (literally) is there getting holiday pictures taken. I felt like they were staring at me wondering what type of torture tactics I had been using.

Ok, back too picking out the pictures. Clean diaper does not mean a happy baby. As we're sitting there reviewing all 8,000 pictures, Danny is on my lap having a fit...and making music in his pants. Yes, not five minutes after I changed him, did he have another blow out. I all but threw up my hands and walked out. We decided on a picture, and somewhere during the viewing Dave mentioned that there was something on his lip in that picture. Of course, I was distracted and didn't hear him. So, the only picture I want...one in the baptism gown is ordered.

They print the pictures, we leave and we're driving home. I open the pictures in the car only to see there is a giant blob of drool on his lip/chin. So much for the ONE perfect picture. I share my frustration with Dave who all but goes off the handle. Hadn't I paid attention when he said there was something on his lip/chin. Obviously, I missed that. Crying, fussing, CRAPPING kid did not leave me with much more attention paying abilities. He's mad because I'm mad. I'm mad because I only wanted one good picture and why had no one specifically pointed out to me "STOP. Are you sure you want that picture. There is a GIANT DROOL ON HIS LIP/CHIN. Is that really what you want for a BAPTISM picture?" But no. No one pointed it out clearly enough...I was frustrated to the max. So what do I do? Cry.

We get home, I changed Danny back into jammies and feed him. As soon as I'm done, I all but RUN out of the house to go do my grocery shopping. I put my fussy baby down for a nap before I left. I called my mom on my way to Giant Eagle, and she is laughing so hard at my story I want to hang up on her. She apparently thinks it's funny when my life doesn't go "as planned".

Danny continued to motor boat and blow out the rest of the day. I have vowed to never eat Bison Beef or Sesame Chicken again. I will be sticking to a bland diet of chicken, turkey and regular hamburgers (especially Wendy's). I am also going to work on tracking what I eat to alleviate more gas attacks. It's frustrating when he fusses, but really I just feel horrible that something I ate made him so uncomfortable. He's so darn cute.

Today, my mom calls and asks if we're having a better day. Yes, a much better day. The turkey I had for dinner the night before seems to have put him to sleep for endless hours. Then she starts laughing again. She said that every time she thinks about our day yesterday she starts laughing. Why? Because we are so Type A and A+ (I'm the plus).

WHATEVER! At least I'm an A+

And yes, I'm having the pictures redone, for free (shame on them for not showing me the drool) sometime before the baptism in December. And I will go during the week when all the other rugrats are in school and I won't have to wait. There is peace on earth.

Mirror Image

In one of my last posts, I mentioned how there are times when Danny looks just like Angela. Well, Friday night, he was snoozing in my arms, and he was making his Angela faces. David took pictures.

We Have A Sleep Position That Works!!!

Part of me is afraid to even type that...but I have to celebrate! Last night was the best night yet! 5-HOURS and 15-MINUTES of UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP!!! For the last three nights, I have been putting Danny on his side to sleep using his sleep positioner to prop him. When he sleeps on Dave or I, sometimes it's on his side or on his stomach. Since I can't do the stomach (SIDS), I thought that we could at least try the side.

SUCCESS!

1. He's sleeping in his crib all night...not just the first three hours.
2. I'm not sleeping on the couch! I'm sleeping on my bed again...how I've missed my bed.
3. He's waking less in between feedings...which means so am I!

Now, some of this profound success can be due to the sleeping positioning, but I'm sure not all of it is. Tomorrow he turns a whopping six weeks, and in all of the books, it is around the 6-week mark that babies straighten out the day/night confusion.

Whatever it is, I am happy! Yesterday, Dave came home from lunch and I was crabby. He gently suggested (ie, DEMANDED) that I take a nap when the baby napped. All the good night sleeps had made me realize just how tired I actually was, and yesterday that tiredness turned to crabbiness. I did take a midafternoon nap with the kiddo. And although I didn't think I napped (I have a dog that likes to bark), I realized I did when it I remembered dreaming that I was on the back of motorcycle that my Dad was driving...but the motorcycle was more of an old banana seated bike.

Today I am not crabby. Today I could scale a mountain I am so happy.

Cross your fingers that this sleeping business keeps working...

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination

My sister called on Friday to tell me about a book review she read in People Magazine. I love People for the celebrity gossip and pictures, but after being in a book club for three years, I've also started to read the book reviews. It's always good to add a new book to our list of potential reads. She tried to give me the gist of the book, but fumbled with her words a little. I'm guessing she was nervous that maybe it would make me sad.

When we were at Leah's birthday party, I read the review and knew that it was a book I would have to read. I requested it from the library today, and now I am anxiously awaiting for the email to tell me the book has arrived.

Click on this link to read the book description.

More times then I can count, I have thought of Angela throughout the pregnancy and birth of Daniel. We brought a special picture of her to the hospital, and an ultrasound of Danny too, to help me focus if I needed too. To remind me that without Angela, there would be no Danny.

I know I've told a few people, and maybe I've already posted this in a previous entry, but we gave birth to Danny in the same room as Angela. Room 18. As Dave and I were walking to the room, we just looked at each other. I felt it was a sign. Something good to help heal the pain. I also wore my cross necklace throughout the labor and delivery. My necklace that has a diamond in the center of the cross that carries some of her ashes. I mention the diamond simple because I think of it as her eye hole into our world. Angela was not only with us in spirit, she was with us physically as well.

There are nights when I'm up feeding him, and I tear up while looking at him. A few people have seen our pictures of Angela. Sometimes, when Danny is asleep, his mouth is open, and we have a picture of Angela where she looks the exact same, only she isn't sleeping. They have the same lips. The same chin. The same nose. She had the beginning of dark hair. You've seen little Danny's hair.

My sister bought me the same blanket in blue that she bought for Angela in pink. Well, it is almost the same, but different. Same brand. Same material. Different pattern. The company came out with a new "signature" blanket this year. I googled the old one and almost bought it. Just so it would be EXACTLY the same. But the more I thought about it, I decided it was OK that it was a little different. For as many things that I want them to share, I am grateful they do not share everything. Dave has also helped me with this. So I washed the blanket and I used it in the pictures that I took on his One Month Birthday. It is the blue one he is wrapped up in while snuggled in his crib.

I am so grateful to have our beautiful, handsome, perfect little boy.

I'll provide an update after I read the book.

Get Your Vote On

No matter who you want to be President, or what your beliefs are...you should go and vote today!

Monkey and I walked to the polls today, and we did just that...and bought a chocolate covered pretzel from the bake sale :)

However, if I can do any lobbying...please vote for your school levy's and for the public library!

Leah's Birthday & Family Lovin'

Leah, the birthday girl. I love this picture.

My nephew Jack. Cutie smirk/smile.

My niece Emily, always up to trouble. She was hovering over her cake for this one.
Janie is a ham! I love her eyes in this picture!

Tasha, Natalie and Emily with "Baby Danny". All the kids call him Baby Danny, and I love it!

Uncle John enjoyed some lovin'. Poor guy missed out on Lori's cheesy potatoes because he held the baby while everyone ate...and no one saved him any!

Sarah getting some cuddle time. Jack was so excited that Danny had his "First Rabbit Ears" in a picture. A moment that will be documented for years to come.

Grandma getting some snuggles in too. If you're wondering where Danny's pants are, Tasha took them off. When I asked why, she said she wanted to see his legs :)

Happy Halloween -- Chili Pepper!

A family picture. Not a very flattering one of me, but hey, you'll have that sometimes. It's sad when my cream turtleneck is darker then me! I'm pasty and this proves it.
*Please notice the squirl bites on the pumpkin.

The three men in my life! Freddy was so excited he had to be in the picture.

My little pepper was sleeping and we struggled to get good pics of him in his costume.
Sleeping again!

I think monkey enjoyed my beer a little too much...

Activity Mat Time

Danny Loves his new playmat, he just stares up in wonder!

He enjoys batting at the toys.

This isn't a great picture, but he was smiling.

Freddy in the background. He lays very protectively when we have Danny on the mat. And NO, we never leave the baby alone with Freddy. He loves the baby, but we have common sense.